Hoisting apparatus.



Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

HOISTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13. 1916.

G. E. CURRAN & A. B. CRAIG,

GEORGE E. CURRAN', or sos'ron, Ann ARTHUR. B. CRAIG, or SOMERVILLE, MASSA- onusnrrs.

HOISTING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

Application filed July 13, 1916. Serial No. 109,176.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE E. CURRAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk, and AR- THUR B. CRAIG, a citizen of the -'United States, residing at Somerville, in the county of Middlesex, both in the State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hoisting Apparatus, of whic the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved hoisting apparatus particularly adapted to be used in connection with theaters for hoisting the drop curtains, scenery or any other stage paraphernalia that may be desired.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient mechanism for raising and lowering any stage paraphernalia at any part of the stage from the front to the rear thereof, one man standing upon the stage being able to shift in this manner'any portion of the scenery and to raise and lower the drop curtains and the like. The device is so constructed that it can be lockedin position so as to prevent any chance of the same falling. I

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth inthe following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of our improved hoisting apparatus, the same being broken away to save space.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of the counterweight mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation and Fig. 6 a plan view of one of the units of the counterweight.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 10 is the stage wall, 11 the stage, 12 the fly gallery and 13 the gridiron fioor. 14 are the vertical guides for the counterweights 15. Said guides are preferably constructed of T-iron and are fastened at their upper ends to the framework 17 and at their lower ends to the framework 18 which is supported upon brackets 19 fast to the wall 10. Other brackets 19 fast to the wall 10 constitute additional means of support for the vertical counterweight guides let.

weight.

The counterweight 15 consists, preferably, of a hollow casing 16 constructed of channel iron and being thus provided with vertical grooves 17 in its sides into which the opposite ends of a plurality of weights 16 project. Said weights are inclined at their opposite ends in order that they may be tipped slightly and then removed laterally from the casing 16. The frame of the counterweight has fastened thereto on its opposite sides a pair of guides 19 which have sliding engagement with the T-shaped guides 14 and are attached to the casing 16 by plates 20, these plates being detachably fastened to the casing 16 so that when it is desired to remove the counterweight from between its guides it may be done by removing the plates 20 from one side of the counterweight, thus detaching the frame of the counterweight from one of the guide 'blocks19, whereupon the same may be tipped laterally at one side thereof and then slid out of engagement with the other vertical guide beam. The guide blocks 19 are preferably made of wood or some other non-metallic material to prevent making a noise as the hoisting apparatus is being operated.

The counterweight is raised by means of aflexible member, preferably by arope 21,

which is fastened at one end thereof to the top 22 of the counterweight and at the other end'thereof to the bottom 23 of said counter- Said rope 21 extends upwardly from the top of the counterweight and around a guide pulley 24 rotatably mounted upon a pulley block 25 fast to the frame 17. Said hoisting rope 21 extends downwardly around a pulley 26 which is rotatably mounted upon a pulley block 27 fastened to the frame 18. Thus when the rope 21 is pulled upon in one direction or the other the counterweight will be moved upwardly or down wardly as the case may be. In order to lock the counterweight in position after it has been raised to the desired height the rope 21 is passed through slots 28 preferably provided in opposite edges of a plate 29 which is clamped to a pipe 30 supported in boxes 31 which are fastened to the vertical guide beams 14.

If there is any undesirable slack in the rope 21 it may be taken up by varying the angle at which the plate 29 is clamped to the rod 30.

When it is desired to operate the counter weight the rope is slipped out of the slots 28 in the plate 29 and the hoisting of the counterweight being completed it is locked in position asstated by slipping the rope 2-1 into the slots 28. The plate 29 also, acts as a take up for any unnecessary looseness which may occur in the hoisting rope 21 it being obvious that by changing the inclination of the plate 29 upon the rod 30- the rope may be ti htened or loosened at will when it is in engagement withsaid plate.

It will be understood that there are a series of counterweights arranged side by side extending from the front to the back of the stage and along one of the side walls 10, and" in each of the units of this series is. a counterwelght with its respective hoist-- ing ropev and to each of said counterweights is. attached one or more ropes 33 and 34; which extend over pulleys 35, 36-, 37 and from said pulleys extend in one direction along and above the gridiron 13 passing around pulleys 38, and downwardly to a bar 39 to which the drop curtain 40 is attached, said drop curtain constituting a movable member. 33 and 3 4- are fastened to the upper end of the counterweight 15 and are adjust-ably fastened thereto by means of right and left threaded turn-buckles 41.

Another unit of the hoisting system has the parts hereinbefore described duplicated, so that the ropes 32, and 34 in another unit may be utilized to raise a piece of scenery and in another unit may be used to raise some other portion of the stage paraphernalia.

In order to adjust the curtain a0 so that it will hang horizontally the ropes 32, 33 or 34 may be lengthened or shortened as The other ends of said ropes desired by turning the turn laiclcles -1 l in one direction or another.

,bination, a pair of vertical guide beams, a

counterweight interposed between said beams and guided thereby, a pair of pulleys rotatably mounted above and below said'oounterweight, a hoisting rope extending over said pulleys, the opposite ends thereof being fastened to said counterweight at thetop and bottom thereof, a plate provided with two slots and a stationary support upon which said. plate is rotatalr-ly mounted, said rope being arranged to, pass through said'slots, whereby said counterweight is locked against vertical movement, and means to adjustably fasten said plate to said support, whereby, upon the rotation of said plate, the slack in said hoisting rope may be taken up.

2; A hoisting apparatus having, in combination, a pair of vertical guide beams, a counterweight interposed. between said beams and guided thereby, means to raise said counterweight, said counterweight con1- prising: a hollow rectangular frame with grooves on the inner faces of the sides thereof and a plurality of weights therein, their opposite ends projecting into said grooves, said opposite ends of said weights being inclined.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands 1n presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE E. CURRAN. ARTHUR B. CRAIG. Witnesses:

SYDNEY E. TAr'r, HATTnr E. STRATTON.

Coplesofi this patent maybe obtainedxfor five cents: each, lay-addressing; the commissioner of Batenta,

v washtn'gtonma 0. 

